Entertainment industry rag Variety ran a column by Brian Lowry who wonders what will happen to the local TV and radio news channels with the local newspaper industry in tatters.

Lowry notes:

"Print journalists have long chafed at broadcast media pilfering their stories, often without bothering to credit the source... the thinness in assembling TV and radio news -- and the manner in which they use newspapers as de facto tip sheets and newsgathering surrogates -- has long been one of broadcasting's dirty little secrets."

Well, sure. It takes a staff of a dozen or two to put on a local TV news program, and a staff of 3-4 to put on a radio show. A modest newspaper might employ dozens of staffers, editors, reporters, copyeditors, and photographers to create a daily paper. These require massive labor costs, and help explain why newspapers are so screwed.

On the other hand, "original reporting" is sorely lacking from most news outlets except local newspapers. Original, local reporting why broadcasters have turned to newspapers to beef up their morning news updates. As newspapers fade, original reporting will become a more valuable commodity. Writers who passionately cover local beats will continue, except they won't be paid as well (writing isn't really a profession you join to get rich -- the vast majority don't). But they will continue writing, most likely on blogs or as stringers for wire services and larger publications.

What does this trend mean for newspapers and local news? We've already seen a shift to online news. The Hartford Courant newspaper in Connecticut is also the Hartford Courant online -- picking up wire stories (which local papers do a lot of anyway) and hitting a few of the local beats, and reporting news shortly after it happens, before it makes it into print. Crime, sports, politics -- the stuff that one person can cover with a few well-placed sources at City Hall or the front office.

While the content is making the transition, ads are not. Local ads are the motherlode for media organizations, but online, most of the local action is going to Craigslist and Google. But even these companies haven't gotten close to really cracking the local advertising market.

Meanwhile, other companies are developing editorial strategies for online. The Huffington Post is rolling out a trial blog in Chicago, focusing on local news and views. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see larger companies like The Tribune or News Corp. launching local focused news portals aggregating all the local news they can drum up in once place -- augmented by blog reporting from "citizen journalists" working for pennies.

Hell, most bloggers work for pennies already -- I can see many of them jumping at the chance to write for a "mainstream media" company for close to nothing.

The million-dollar question: will local news coverage get better or worse? I think it will get better, if you know where to look -- and that Huffington Post may be on to something. Local newspapers -- not to mention radio and TV news operations -- would do well to pay attention.

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